Post-installation, you’ll find a number of key logs, config files, database(s) and image files and Windows Services tied to your solution. This document will detail the locations, access methods and general contents of those files / services.
Logs
Starting with our log files, these are incredibly useful for both troubleshooting, and understanding the data process surrounding Intuitive.
The first location surrounds our Scheduler and Dashboard log files. By default, these will be located under the below directory:
C:\Intuitive_WorkFiles\Logfiles
The structure of both the Scheduler and Dashboard log files are the name of the log file, followed by a timestamp of all notable activity on that given day.
Both files can be opened in a basic text editor, such as Notepad.
The Scheduler log file contains information relating to our ETL Service. We’ll detail that Windows service later in this document, but the ETL is our piece of software that is responsible for the data extraction, transformation and load into (generally) a SQLite database.
This log file will show when those data loads occur, either on demand or as part of a schedule, along with any useful information, warnings or errors as part of that process.
The Dashboard log file relates to the Intuitive Dashboard Service. This is the service that the software uses for users to access the dashboard software, load the data into cached feed files, and generally makes everything work.
Similar to the Scheduler log files, this will contain information relating to when the service is started or stopped, but also can contain information for when users sign in, and any additional information, warnings and errors.
Feeds
When the Windows Service of Intuitive Dashboards Service is started, it will cache the datafeeds that Intuitive uses into files in the below directory:
C:\Intuitive_WorkFiles\Feeds
Whilst these files cannot be opened, they’re used by the software in order to aid in system restarts. Reason being, is that if the dashboard data is large in size, instead of the dashboard service re-querying the same SQLite database, it creates these files so that the Dashboard service reads these files directly, and then refreshes as part of the overnight ETL / Dashboard routines.
This directory is also useful to troubleshoot, as if any of the feed files are 0-1kb, you could theorise that the data has not loaded into the solution’s SQLite database, or that the Intuitive Dashboard service started before the ETL had either started or had completely finished.
Configuration Files
There are a number of configuration files relating to both the software, and the currently installed solution. This part of the document will be broken down into those areas.
Software Configuration Files
There are numerous configuration files relating to the software, so this guide will act as a whistle stop tour of the notable files that customers may wish to change.
Starting with the Client directory, which is found under the default path:
C:\Program Files\Intuitive Business Intelligence\Intuitive Dashboards\Client
This directory contains the config files relating to the web elements of the software. The main file in this directory is the web.config file.
It’s best to open the .config files in a graphical text editor, preferably one that can note record line numbers.
Web.config is typically altered for when customers wish to use HTTPS over the default HTTP. It contains some key parameters that would need to change, but the guide for making this change is located on our knowledge base.
This directory as a whole also contains the image files (which we’ll cover later in this document) and the elements surrounding HTML5. The HTML5 sub-folder also contains the CSS used for the web site, which again customers may change if they wish to make general alterations to the look and feel of the software. Those CSS files again can also be changed in a text editor, but typically one that can colour coordinate the tags and variables used.
C:\Program Files\Intuitive Business Intelligence\Intuitive Dashboards\Client\HTML5\css
Going back to the main Intuitive Dashboard directory, the Server folder contains a very versatile file called the Dashboard.config file.
C:\Program Files\Intuitive Business Intelligence\Intuitive Dashboards\Server
Inside this file you can change the port number the web page runs on, welcome messages that are shown to users when they sign in and also the colour branding of the software – amongst other items.
Solution Configuration Files
The main directory of solution configuration files lies under the Tools sub-folder of Intuitive Dashboards:
C:\Program Files\Intuitive Business Intelligence\Intuitive Dashboards\Tools
The ETL Service directory contains the scripts, config files and database(s) generated for the installed solution.
Starting with the Initialised directory, this will usually contain a single file that is 0kb in size.
C:\Program Files\Intuitive Business Intelligence\Intuitive Dashboards\Tools\ETL Service\Initialised
The format of this file is usually the solution name, followed by ‘-import-done’. This flag is used by the ETL Service for determining whether it needs to run a full or incremental update.
If the file is not present, the ETL Service will clear the database (if it already exists) and reload all of the data that is specified from the ETLService.config file. We’ll cover that file in a bit, but if the ‘-import-done’ file is present, the ETL will only run an incremental update.
Moving back up a folder to ETL Service, this is where we can see the main ETL file “ETLService.config”. This file is best opened in a graphical text editor for vieweing line numbers.
The contents of this file contains the database(s) generated, along with the tables associated to them. Each solution will load data in differently, with some using flat files, ODBC connections or API connections.
In a SAFEQ6 installation, the tables are built from a raw sample of two years’ of data, which is passed to the second table for processing.
As SAFEQ6 stores detailed information for the document-level information, but only for the last 30 days, we build up that granularity over time through our incremental updates.
These operations are performed through SQL Scripts. Those scripts are located under the below directory, and are best accessed via a text editor with line numbers:
C:\Program Files\Intuitive Business Intelligence\Intuitive Dashboards\Tools\ETL Service\Safeq\Odbc
Databases
Software Databases
During the installation of the Intuitive software, you will have been prompted to use either a SQL Server database, or a SQLite database for the internal Intuitive application.
This database does not hold solution-dependent data, such as volumes, document names and costs. Instead, it stores the database information for the core software to function.
In a SQL Server implementation, you will have entered a target instance which you should have made a note of, including the connection details. It could be located on either the Intuitive server, or elsewhere in the customer network. That database is typically accessed via SQL Server Management Studio, but other methods and third-party tools are available.
In a SQLite implementation, the installation wizard will have created that database for you. SQLite is just a single file, and does not come with any other prior setup. Typically, this database can be accessed via third-party tools such as SQLite Studio (this is not affiliated with Intuitive) amongst others.
The database is located, by default, under the below Intuitive directory as “dashboard.db”:
C:\Program Files\Intuitive Business Intelligence\Intuitive Dashboards
Solution Database
Our current on-premise solution databases are all SQLite files. Similar to the software database for SQLite, this file can be accessed via a third-party, database browsing tool:
C:\Program Files\Intuitive Business Intelligence\Intuitive Dashboards\Tools\ETL Service\SafeQ\Data\SafeQ.db
Images
Returning to our images directory, located under the below:
C:\Program Files\Intuitive Business Intelligence\Intuitive Dashboards\Client\Images
You’ll find each of the images used for your particular print management solution, including some sample images.
Customers will typically overwrite two of the files in this directory, the “CustomerLogo.png” file, and the “VendorLogo.png” file.
CustomerLogo is our image in the top left of the screen. By default, it’ll display an Intuitive logo. Usually customers replace this image with the logo of their own company, which is achieved by replacing the file like-for-like. This means the exact filename and extension is needed to overwrite the file correctly.
VendorLogo is the image used in the dashboards in the top right of the screen. Typically, it’ll display “Powered by Intuitive”. Another example of where customers change this, is that the reseller, OEM or partner wishes to place their own logo in that corner. Again, similar to the CustomerLogo, when replacing this logo you would therefore need to replace it like-for-like.
When replacing those files, do note that if the dashboards have already been opened prior to the change, they will still persist in the users’ browser cache. So you’ll need to notify them that this will need to be cleared to see the new changes.
Windows Services
Post-installation of Intuitive brings with it two key Windows Services, “Intuitive Dashboards Service” and “Intuitive Dashboards ETL Service”.
These services are started and stopped primarily through Windows Services, which may need to be opened via elevated rights.
However, the services can be opened via a console view by opening either the “ETL Service” shortcut on the desktop of the Intuitive server for the “Intuitive Dashboards ETL Service”, or the “Dashboard Service” shortcut for the “Intuitive Dashboards Service”.
When running those services as a console view, they’re useful for seeing the messages in real time for a first-time data load. However, please ensure that when they’ve completed their tasks, that you close the console and start the services via Windows Services so that they continue to run in the background, even when a user is not signed in to the server.
External Sources
In a SAFEQ6 implementation, the target areas we retrieve from are direct from the database.
Implementations typically use either PostgreSQL or SQL Server.
Each database will have its own connection method, with typically PostgreSQL being accessed via PGadmin and SQL Server with SQL Server Management Studio, although other tools are available.
As we target the data via ODBC, you can check the current connection method on the Intuitive server by opening the ODBC Data Sources application and locating the target database type.
This connection can be edited to view the current credentials being used, the instance name and target server name.